Whole Larder Love began as an online journal by Rohan Anderson, documenting the story of a significant life change.

We're a product of the products that fed us.

Food manufacturers prey on our vulnerabilities, convincing us we need to buy things that will not only fed us, but will make us happy and 'healthy' whilst delivered with a perceived sense of convenience. Many of us end up suffering the symptoms of the modern western illness. We're overweight, obese, we're unhealthy from eating the high energy processed foods. Our bodies a physical manifestation of stress and pressure from working hard to keep up with the expense of housing and the stuff that fills them , a lot of which we don't actually need for our survival or to experience fulfilling lives. Our natural world is in a state of chaos, our resources are managed for the advancement of fiscal gain not for regenerative or biodiversity purposes. Our consumer behaviour is making us sick, it's making our planet sick, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Rohan was all these things. One day he began planting food in his backyard and it changed his world, unknowingly taking him on a journey of discovery and awareness. It's a simple process to grow food, for Rohan it also opened his mind, he began to question the fundamental consumer ideology that underpins our our western culture. If he could grow a carrot, eggplant, tomato outside of the system, what else was possible? He progressed to sourcing his own meat, becoming a hunter, a forager and a trader of food within his community. Rohan is not living 'off the grid' nor is he 'self-sufficient' instead he's adopted an approach that focus's on reduction. As he reduced his consumption of processed foods his health returned, he lost a significant amount of weight, he's body repaired and he was able to cease all medications treating mental health issues and hyper tension (with guidance from a GP). As he reduced his reliance on processed foods he automatically minimised his consumption of packaging and food miles. This approach of reduction entered all facets of consumer life, from clothing, electronics and household consumables, every reduction of his consumer behaviour resulted in a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, less waste and less greenhouse gas emissions. Simple habitual changes, that result in big impact.

Not believing in terms such as ‘sustainable’ or ‘self sufficient’, terms often used inappropriately, instead Rohan advocates for a greater understanding of ones impact on environment and personal health. He sees solutions in a more practical sense, by identifying ways to reduce our personal impact, starting with simple changes, optionally ending up becoming more self reliant, healthier and content .

We can build a better understanding of the consequences that our daily consumer choices have, in our bodies, and the natural world. Not advocating for a return to cave man conditions, instead a realistic, practical awareness of the consequences of consumerism, of which none of us can avoid but can actively change. It’s all about identification, choice and reduction, not isolation from civilisation.